Picks of the Week: February 24 - March 1, 2008

Website of the Week -- The Philanthropy Journal

The Philanthropy Journal, the name notwithstanding, is a website that delivers news, information, resources and opinion about charitable giving, fundraising, management, leadership, marketing and communications, focusing in particular on organizational effectiveness, donor engagement and collaboration. The vision of the Philanthropy Journal is to help people understand, support and work in the nonprofit and philanthropic world, and help them recognize and solve social problems. The Philanthropy Journal is a publication of the A.J. Fletcher Foundation in Raleigh, N.C., that supports the Foundation's mission and grantees. The site publishes two newsletters: the Weekly Bulletin eNewsletter is published every Monday and People & Nonprofits in the News eNewsletter is published every other Wednesday. To view the website and subscribe to the eNewsletters, go to: http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/


Publication of the Week -- Fund Raising Realities Every Board Member Must Face: A 1-Hour Crash Course on Raising Major Gifts for Nonprofit Organizations by David Lansdowne

From the publisher: If every board member of every nonprofit organization across America read this book, it’s no exaggeration to say that millions upon millions of additional dollars would be raised.How could it be otherwise when, after spending just one hour with this gem, board members everywhere would understand virtually everything they need to know about raising major gifts. Not more, not less. Just exactly what they need to do to be successful. In his bestselling book, Fund Raising Realities Every Board Member Must Face: A 1-Hour Crash Course on Raising Major Gifts for Nonprofit Organizations, David Lansdowne has distilled the essence of major gifts fundraising, put it in the context of 47 “realities,” and delivered it in unfailingly clear prose. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.


Trend of the Week -- Corporate Contributions Rise Again

A new study by the Conference Board reports that total corporate contributions in the U.S. and abroad (among 189 major corporations and corporate foundations) amounted to $10.2 billion in 2006, up from $9.8 billion in 2005. Total U.S. giving among 189 corporations polled was $7.9 billion. This represents 62 percent of the overall estimated $12.72 billion in corporate charitable giving in the U.S. in 2006. The Conference Board study also compared U.S. giving among 146 corporations and foundations between 2005 and 2006 and found that their contributions to worthy causes decreased by 6.3% from $7.2 billion in 2005 to $6.7 billion in 2006. Median U.S. giving among this group also declined from $49 million in 2005 to $46 million in 2006. These matched cases provide the most accurate analysis of year-to-year trends in U.S. giving. Reflecting the increased global reach of business operations, international grantmaking is emerging as an increasingly significant component in the giving programs of many large companies. Total overseas charitable contributions (as reported by 88 companies surveyed) soared in 2006-their total reaching $2.3 billion. For more detail and to download a copy of the full report, go to: http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=3315.


Resource of the Week -- Nonprofit Information Technology (IT) Staffing Resource

Staffing the information technology (IT) function is frequently a challenge for nonprofit organizations. Financial resources are typically limited, and hiring managers often feel overwhelmed and under-educated when it comes to IT. Determining where IT should fit into the organization, how many IT staff people are needed, and what those people should be spending their time doing can be difficult decisions. In order to shed some light on these questions, the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) and the Nonprofit Times teamed up to create the Nonprofit IT Staffing Survey. The results of this survey will be presented in three parts. The first report, "Staffing Levels, Recruiting, Retention, and Outsourcing" focuses on the nature of IT staff and departments in nonprofits. Future reports will cover Salaries & Budgets and IT Management & Planning. To download the first report for free, go to: http://nten.org/research/it_staffing.


Tech Tip of the Week -- Using Bookmarks in Word 2007

There are many ways to move through a long document in Microsoft Word 2007 − such as the PgUp or PgDn keys or clicking the scroll bar. Or, you can use a bookmark.

To create a bookmark in a document:
• Click where you want the bookmark to go
• Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
• In the Links group, click Bookmark (or press Ctrl+Shift+F5)
• Type a descriptive name in the Bookmark Name box. (You cannot include spaces in bookmark names.)
• Click the Add button

To go to a bookmark:
• Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
• In the Links group, click Bookmark (or press Ctrl+Shift+F5)
• Double-click the name of the bookmark (or select it and click the Go To button)
• Click the close button or press Enter